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PC Races
These are the playable races, selectable by new players, and the types of cities and cultures they embody in the game world. Dhampir Dhampirs are half-undead creatures native to the Darklands. While their guise is traditionally human, dhampir also have sharp fangs and usually appear sickly or pale in comparison to typical humans. Their origin is uncertain, although usually attributed to ancient human wizards tampering with necromantic powers which accidentally paved the path for a new race of creatures who were not quite dead, but not quite alive either. Dhampir stem from various different bloodlines, shaped by a variety of different undead creatures, with vampires being the most influential. Dhampir bloodlines are particularly unique, since they are not actually undead creatures, and have none of the normal drawbacks of undead creatures, leading them to being viewed as "pure" beings by some, and sometimes referred to as "daywalkers." True undead who are intelligent tend to despise and even fear dhampir, and the sentiment is mutual for dhampir looking upon powerful vampire lords who seek to harm or destroy their unique culture. *'Ability Score Increase': Your Charisma score increases by 2. *'Age': Dhampir mature and age at the same rate as an elf. *'Alignment': While dhampir may be of any alignment, the commonplace judgement and subsequent treatment by the rest of the world often drives them toward evil. *'Size': Dhampir have roughly the same physical characteristics as humans. Your size is Medium. *'Speed': Your base walking speed is 30 feet. *'Bite': As an action against a living creature that is willing, restrained, incapacitated, or grappled by you, you deal an amount of necrotic damage equal to your Charisma modifier plus your proficiency bonus. You gain an amount of health equal to any damage you deal. Creatures that are immune to piercing or necrotic damage or that don't have blood are immune to this ability. *'Darkvision': Accustomed to life in dark places, you have superior vision in dark and dim conditions. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can't discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. *'Vampric Resistance': You have resistance to necrotic damage and do not require air. Your bond to life requires that you eat and sleep, although a diet of fresh blood is capable of sustaining you in lieu of a meal. *'Languages': You can speak, read, and write Common and Necril. *'Subrace': Dhampir heritage varies based on the type of undead they are modeled after, causing their abilities and appearances to differ. Choose one of the following subraces. : Jiang-Shi : *A jiang-shi's appearance can range from unremarkable to horrifying. Although looks can vary, the most common physical traits for jiang-shi are greenish-white skin and stark white hair. Jiang-shi commonly move with more rigid motions which seem to mimic the physical restrictions of rigor mortis. However, jiang-shi are still quick and talented jumpers. For jiang-shi, the act of draining blood carries a sort of spiritual aspect to it, and they are more likely to refrain from killing a victim, or even seek to attract willing individuals. *'Ability Score Increase': Your Intelligence score increases by 1. *'Unnatural Gait': You have proficiency in the Athletics skill. *'Agitation': While you don't have actual weaknesses to the same types of objects and situations as a true undead of your bloodline, certain things do agitate or grate on your nerves and serve as a constant reminder of your undead heritage. Jiang-shi dread high-pitched and loud noises (especially the crow of morning animals such as roosters) and their own reflections. Jiang-shi despise the smell, touch, and taste of vinegar, though it causes them no actual harm. : Moroi : *Moroi are the most traditional and common type of dhampir, based on actual vampires, and appear the most human. Their appearance is usually little more than a pale complexion, and moroi are often considered quite attractive and charming. Moroi exhibit the most well-known and stereotypical attributes of undead-kind, and as such are the types of dhampir that most instinctively think of. *'Ability Score Increase': Your Strength score increases by 1. *'Natural Charm': You have proficiency in the Persuasion skill. *'Agitation': While you don't have actual weaknesses to the same types of objects and situations as a true undead of your bloodline, certain things do agitate or grate on your nerves and serve as a constant reminder of your undead heritage. Moroi dislike direct sunlight, and even though it does them no direct harm, most avoid it as often as possible. Silver has an unpleasant, itching feeling against the skin of a moroi, though it can still be wielded or worn without significant discomfort. Moroi also loathe the smell and flavor of garlic. : Nosferatu : *Nosferatu are a more ancient and wicked form of vampiric undead. Nosferatu are the least appealing of the different varieties, appearing as thin and starving rat-like creatures with pale wrinkled skin, pointed ears, and bald heads. Nosferatu have long fingers and needle-like teeth that put most other beings off even at a glance. Despite their aged looks, nosferatu are strong mentally and have not only a powerful presence but also a sharp, cunning mind. *'Ability Score Increase': Your Wisdom score increases by 1. *'Limited Telepathy': Nosferatu possess the innate ability to speak telepathically with other creatures. You can communicate telepathically with any creature you can see within 30 feet of you. Unlike other forms of telepathy, you must share a language with the creature in order for it to understand your telepathic utterances. *'Agitation': While you don't have actual weaknesses to the same types of objects and situations as a true undead of your bloodline, certain things do agitate or grate on your nerves and serve as a constant reminder of your undead heritage. Like moroi, nosferatu detest sunlight above all else are the most prone to wearing or carrying objects that shield them from direct rays. Nosferatu are also unnerved by running water. : Vetala : *Vetala are most often characterized by their shimmering, even metallic brass skin. In addition, vetala commonly have more than two simple fangs, often four or six, which gives them a more vicious appearance when bared, even if their passive appearance is somewhat exotic and alluring. Vetala are exceptionally agile and graceful, which they accentuate through dance and performances. Beneath their charm however lies a twisted creature with a dark soul. The spirit of a vetala is said to be like that of a festering stew, which grows more and more spiteful as the creature ages. *'Ability Score Increase': Your Dexterity score increases by 1. *'Vetala Magic': You know the thaumaturgy cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the command spell once per day. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells. *'Agitation': While you don't have actual weaknesses to the same types of objects and situations as a true undead of your bloodline, certain things do agitate or grate on your nerves and serve as a constant reminder of your undead heritage. Vetala shudder at the sound of prayer or religious mantras, and shy away from any form of religious expression that involves chanting or singing. Vetala have a similar distaste for expressively kind or sweet individuals, and even a good-aligned vetala often views other good creatures as an annoyance due to their generous behavior. Humans Humans are the most prominent and well-known race in the world. Humans are typical creatures with the unique advantage of being able to adapt to essentially any environment. They're even capable of breeding and reproducing with most other races. Many creatures and phenomenons are modeled after humans, leading humans to be a suspicious lot. Any human newcomer could potentially be a vampire, a trickster kitsune, a succubus, or any form of external threat. For that reason, humans tend to fare better with other races who they already know aren't hiding anything. Historically, humans are going through a waning phase. They were once even more powerful in numbers and influence, having carved out the Darklands and essentially establishing two new races on their own. However, once those races split off and stopped calling themselves human, numbers among humans began to decline. Other human expeditions failed, and attempts to colonize other locations and spread through the lands of other creatures (such as bugbears) resulted in defeat. Eventually, humans returned to their homelands and began to focus on sustaining themselves rather than expanding. Human culture is more recently focused on diplomacy between existing races. Kayal/Fetchlings Kayal (or fetchlings as they're sometimes called, although most hate that word) are dark, monochrome humanoids that thrive in the Darklands similar to dhampir. They're descended from humans who conquered the area and mingled with the shadow creatures that originally resided there. Over time, the kayal broke away from human culture and founded their own cities with their own traditions. (Since no players opted to play fetchlings, and no NPCs were really designed with them in mind, we most likely won't be using them for the 5e game.) Kitsune Kitsune are humanoid individuals with fox ears and a tail. They sometimes have other fox traits, such as whiskers or claws. Kitsune are natural pranksters, masters of misdirection and disguise. They possess the innate ability to transform into human or fox shape, which they often use to infiltrate human societies. Although kitsune are technically allied with humans, many individuals lie in this manner for amusement or personal gain, so this partnership is rocky at best. *'Ability Score Increase': Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma or Wisdom score (your choice) increases by 1. *'Age': Kitsune mature and age slightly faster than humans, reaching adulthood a year or two earlier and living a few years fewer. *'Alignment': Kitsune tend to be neutral, or of alignments with a neutral component. *'Size': As adults, kitsune stand about 5-6 feet in height and weigh between 100-180 pounds. Your size is Medium. *'Speed': Your base walking speed is 30 feet. *'Agile': You have proficiency in the Acrobatics skill. *'Kitsune Magic': You know the produce flame cantrip. Charisma or Wisdom (determined by your ability score increase) is your spellcasting ability for this spell. *'Shape Change': You have the shapechanger subtype, granting you the attributes of that type (such as immunity to polymorph). As an action you can assume one of two forms: a human or a feral fox. As a human, your appearance changes, including your height, weight, facial features, sound of your voice, hair length, coloration, and distinguishing characteristics, if any. You cannot change your size category, gender, or age category. Each time you assume this form you gain the appearance of the same distinct human, which cannot be that of any other human -- this form is unique to you. As a fox, use the effects of the polymorph spell, except that you can only become a specific fox with a static appearance. Use the statistics of a weasel to determine attributes. Your shape change ability lasts indefinitely unless you choose to end it, which is not an action, and you never need to concentrate on its effects. Game-wise, your human form may have a distinct display name and even be in a separate guild and be on different friends lists. Your fox form always appears as a standard animal. *'Languages': You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan. Nekos Nekos are humanoid individuals with feline ears and a tail. They sometimes have other feline traits, such as whiskers or claws. Nekos are most closely related to humans, and historically speaking may have simply branched off of humans at some point, consideirng they don't have a unique language of their own. Human and neko coordination goes back to the start of recorded history. Nekos aren't quite as violent or prone to conquer as humans, though they are very industrious. Most of the technological breakthroughs in the world result from neko experimentation, and they're the frontrunners in both firearm and alchemical research. Nekos tend to be curious to the point of recklessness. *'Ability Score Increase': Your Dexterity score increases by 2 and your Charisma or Wisdom score (your choice) increases by 1. *'Age': Nekos mature and age at the same rate as humans. *'Alignment': With community and unselfish cooperation at the center of their culture, as well as a good-natured curiosity and willingness to adapt to the customs of many other races, most nekos tend toward good alignments. *'Size': Most nekos fall in the 5 to 6 foot range, and weigh beteen 100 and 200 pounds. Your size is Medium. *'Speed': Your base walking speed is 35 feet. *'Cat's Luck': You have advantage on all Dexterity saving throws. *'Natural Talent': You have proficiency in one of the following options: Acrobatics, Perception, Stealth, Survival, or one tool or kit of your choice. *'Soft Fall': You have resistance to falling damage. You always land on your feet and are never knocked prone from a fall. *'Languages': You can speak, read, and write Common. Tengu Tengu formed out of isolation from most other creatures, and were some of the last to come in contact with the rest of the civilizations. Tengu are birdlike humanoids, and are only male -- their females are harpies, which are much more primitive, savage beasts that roam the Zenhai Jungle. The males and females only associate with one another during mating season. The male tengu formed a city in the trees called Umbala, where they study psychic magic. Compared to the barbaric harpies, tengu tend to be scholarly and well-read with a lot of martial experience. * Ability Score Increase: Your Wisdom or Intelligence score (your choice) increases by 2 and your Dexterity score increases by 1. * Age: Tengu mature and age at the same rate as humans. * Alignment: Tengus tend to be neutral, though those who allow their impulsiveness to get the better of them lean toward chaotic neutral. * Size: Tengus have a smaller and lighter stature than many other humanoids, typically standing 4 to 5 feet in height, and weighing 60-100 pounds. Your size is Medium. * Speed: Your base walking speed is 30 feet. * Glide: You can fall safely from any height, as if under the effects of a continual feather fall spell. * Mimicry: You can mimic any sounds you have heard, including voices. This talent extends to handwriting. * Tengu Magic: You know the mage hand cantrip. Wisdom or Intelligence (determined by your ability score increase) is your spellcasting ability for this spell. *'Tengu Weapon Training': You have proficiency with the longsword, shortsword, rapier, and scimitar. * Languages: You can speak, read, and write Common, Tengu, and one other language of your choice. Vishkanya Vishkanya are a race of serpentine humanoids that originate from the Zenhai Jungle. They along with tengu resemble humans far less than other races. Historically speaking, feuds with tengu and harpies drove the vishkanya to the beaches and to the site that would eventually become the city of Comodo. After vishkanya were introduced to other races and began associating with them, the city of Comodo became more of a tourist attraction. Because of the fact that most other races view vishkanya as beautiful charmers, the vishkanya found it easy to transition their city into one that emphasized dance clubs and other forms of entertainment.